1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a closure construction having a window lock or catch assembly, and more specifically to one having an adjustable cam keeper secured to the meeting stile of one of the window sashes, panel closures or the like.
2. Prior Art
Catch assemblies to which the invention pertains are of the type having a cam or rotary crescent rotatably mounted on one of the meeting stiles and a cam keeper secured to the other meeting stile, the cam being adapted for rotation into engagement with the cam keeper to retain the sashes in closed position. The cam keeper is usually adjustable relative to the stile for compensating for disengagement or misalignment of the cam keeper from the cam, the disengagement or misalignment being due primarily to manufacturing tolerances of the window sash frame members and the catch assembly components.
One typical adjustable cam keeper comprises an elongated plate member having at one end a cam detent engageable with an arcuate cam, having at its longitudinal edges a plurality of cut-away recesses, and having an elongated central aperture intermediate the recessed edges. The plate member is secured to the meeting stile by a screw threaded through the central aperture into the meeting stile with a retaining member interposed between the screw and the plate member and having prongs engageable with the cut-away recesses and having projections engageable with an edge of the meeting stile. The plate member extends adjustably in a direction normal to the longitudinal axis of the meeting stile. However, this type of adjustable cam keeper requires high precision in its attachment and adjustment relative to the stile since, if and when the retaining member fails to engage snugly with the cam plate member, the retaining member and the screw project into the path of travel of the other sash and tend to collide against the other meeting stile when the sashes are moved to open or close the window, and smooth relative movement between the sashes fails to be achieved, and the stiles and the cam keeper are prone to become damaged. Another difficulty attendant with the prior adjustable cam keeper is that manufacturing and attaching the retaining member involves additional time, cost and trouble.